Sorafenib therapy is safe and effective, with evidence of long-lasting disease control in elderly patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), according to research presented at the 2nd European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC). On the basis of increasing incidence of RCC with age, the objective of this retrospective, subset analysis was to assess the safety and efficacy of sorafenib in patients older than 65 years of age.

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Repros Therapeutics has announced that the Company has entered into an amendment with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to its existing exclusive license for Proellex® that revises the existing milestones and dates for performance to provide additional time to lift the current clinical hold on Proellex or select a second generation molecule for further development from the family of anti-progestational agents covered by the license.

A new study has indicated that endometriosis, in which cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other regions such as fallopian tubes and ovaries, can also be quickly and accurately identified by a small test. Researchers led by Ian Fraser at the University of Sydney and Maomar al-Jefout of Mu’tah University found that a small tissue sample taken from the uterine lining with a device inserted through the vagina works just as well. This condition of the uterus, which is linked to infertility, painful periods and pain during sexual intercourse, until now could only be detected through surgery.

Novadaq Technologies Inc, a developer of real-time imaging systems used in the operating room, announced that its SPY endoscopic imaging system has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for use during minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Novadaq’s SPY “scope” combines the traditional features of a state of the art, high definition standard endoscope with the fluorescence capabilities of the SPY imaging system, which is currently used in a variety of open surgical procedures.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are closer to developing a simple urine test to identify smokers who are at high risk of developing lung cancer. Although the test is still years away, the hope is to spot high-risk people earlier when there is still time to prevent or treat the cancer, says Jian-Min Yuan, MD, associate professor of cancer epidemiology at the University.

Researchers have reported the successful performance of renal cryotherapy, wedge biopsy of a kidney, abdominal sacrocolpopexy, and radical nephrectomy using the Uni-X Single Port Access Laparoscopic System of Pnavel Systems, New Jersey. The Uni-X Single Port is placed through a 1.5cm incision in the body. There are three portals in the port for the passage of a 5mm flexible steerable laparoscopic endoscope and 2, 5 mm articulating instruments. The endoscope and instruments can be triangulated at the broader angles.

Urodynamix Technologies has started the evaluation of its second-generation prototype near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor for measuring blood flow in the prostate gland during the digital rectal examination (DRE). DRE is the most prevalent screening test for prostate cancer patients. The company’s NIRS DRE system enhances the traditional DRE process by capturing data to improve the clinicians’ ability to detect prostate diseases, including prostrate cancer.